(CNN) – The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to move ahead on a spending plan needed to avoid a government shutdown next week, with Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, unexpectedly reversing themselves after previously trying to block the measure over their objection to spending for Obamacare.

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Ted Cruz would not fund Obamacare. He will not fund it, Sam-I-am.

He will not like it here or there. He does not like it in a box. He does not like it with a Fox. He does not like it in a house (small H). He does not like it with a mouse. He does not like Obamacare.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) – Whatever you want to call Ted Cruz's marathon speech on the Senate floor, it's not in and of itself a filibuster. While he's speaking for an unusually long time, he's not holding up any Senate business.

It is part of a filibuster by him and other Senate Republicans like Marco Rubio and Mike Lee who are stalling immediate Senate action on the House-passed plan to fund the government past September 30. They don't need to talk to do that, they just say they will and that requires the Senate to reach a 60-vote threshold to stop them.FULL POST

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, held the Senate floor for more than 21 hours as he passionately argued his case for defunding Obamacare.

Here are some of the highlights from his epic speech. Be sure you don't skip the exchange between Cruz and fellow Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah around 3 a.m., when they ask each other some super tricky questions. Cruz also mentions his lifelong dream of being a Pirate at one point. Oh, and there was the time Cruz loops Sean Connery and Teddy Roosevelt into the same analogy

1:25 p.m. ET – The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to move ahead on a spending plan needed to avoid a government shutdown next week, with Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, unexpectedly reversing themselves after previously trying to block the measure over their objection to spending for Obamacare.

12:56 p.m. ET – The Senate starts voting a few minutes early on whether to move ahead with the bill.